Ventura restaurant reviews

Read Star restaurant critic Rita Moran's reviews and dining recommendations on local Ventura restaurants, bars and cafes: http://www.vcstar.com/news/entertainment/dining/ Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her food. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at ritamoran@earthlink.net.

THE KITCHEN Location: 529 South A St., Oxnard. 385-8980. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; closed Sundays Impressions: Handsome, multi-room dining area with gastropub options; prompt and helpful service; wide-ranging, moderately priced dishes What's hot: Potato-leek soup, Argentine beef stew special, The Cuban sandwich, cupcakes --------------- Juan Carlo/Star staff Marie Lander looks at Steve Schmiess as he is served by Danny Gallegos, as Thierry Jenar also looks on inside The Kitchen in Oxnard. It's a large space, with several seating areas in dark wood. The menu includes Argentine Beef Stew over rice pilaf — a special of the day, the Cuban pork sandwich, potato-leek soup of the day, a small lettuce wedge salad and the only desserts available, a peanut butter and a chocolate cupcake.

MEDITERRANEO Location : 32037 Agoura Road, Westlake Village. 818-889-9105; http://www.med-rest.com. Breakfast hours : 7-11 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. A brunch menu is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Impressions : Large and handsome restaurant on the tree- and flower-accented grounds of the Westlake Village Inn; very prompt and helpful service; very good range of breakfast dishes, with creative touches and accent on fresh and healthy items. What's hot : Papaya and berries, grapefruit juice, red velvet pancakes, Go Green frittata, bacon. Lisa Biondi'smenu includes a nicoise salad made with fresh albacore tuna poached in olive oil and served on lettuce with traditional olives, green beans and potatoes.

2 FOR BRUNCH Starter : Chili-dusted prawns ($14). Entrees : California crab cakes ($14) + breakfast burrito ($10) + stuffed brioche French toast ($12) + huevos rancheros ($12). Tab for two : $20-$36. ---------------------- Photos by Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star The breakfast burrito is made with pulled braised beef and served with country potatoes and homemade salsa. It is one of the many Sunday brunch menu items served at the Watermark on Main restaurant in downtown Ventura.

Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star

THE LOCAL CAFE Location : 1751 E. Main St., Ventura. 643-0237. Hours : 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Impressions : Small, basic space inside and out, with display case of the day's food the primary focus; helpful, hardworking staff; lots of appealing and innovative salads, sandwiches, soups, pizzas and desserts. What's hot : Apple salad; quinoa salad; turkey sandwich; cavalo nero pizza; Meyer lemon bars. Photo: The Local Cafe, on Main Street in midtown Ventura, is built for takeout, although it does have seats inside and on the patio. It's open for lunch and dinner.

BRENDAN'S IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT Location : 1755 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo. 383-4100. Hours : 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Impressions : Colorful Irish character in décor; cleverly named dishes with Gaelic resonance; good service with delays when crowded. What's hot : Corned beef and cabbage sliders, Irish brown bread with raisins and nuts, Blarney Burger, pecan pie with whiskey sauce. ---------------------- Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star Brendan's Irish Pub and Restaurant located in Camarillo has been busy since the day they opened. The centerpiece of the pub is the 75-foot long oval bar the sits in the middle of the restaurant. "This is a community pub," said owner Shaw Mulchay, "We want people to make friends."

Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star

TWO FOR DINNER Starter : Corned beef and cabbage sliders ($6.95). Entrees : Lamb shank ($17.95) + Blarney Burger ($8.95). Dessert : Pecan pie with broken chocolate, whiskey sauce and ice cream ($5.95). Tab for two : $18-$44. ---------------------- Carmen Smyth/Special to The Star Brendan's Irish Pub and Restaurant located in Camarillo just opened on Daily Drive. They serve a variety of menu items that includes the Blarney Burger served on a potato bread bun with cheese and steak fries.

KITTY’S COUNTRY KITCHEN Location : 1051 E. Channel Islands Blvd., Oxnard, next to a Comfort Inn. 486-1796. Hours : 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Impressions : Neat, bright and comfortable diner; attentive and efficient service; down-the-center diner food, with a few variations. What’s hot : Parmesan-crusted patty melt, apple pie. ---------------------- Photo by Joseph A. Garcia/Star staff Robin Nishizaki, executive chef and manager at Kitty's Country Kitchen in Oxnard, prepares dishes that he would take photos of for a recipe guide book he was making for his line cooks.

2 FOR LUNCH Entrees : Parmesan-crusted patty melt ($8.95) + shrimp and chips ($13.95). Dessert : apple pie ($4.95). Tab for two : $14-$22 for lunch. ---------------------- Photos by Joseph A. Garcia/Star staff Douglas Ramirez, facing, a line cook at Kitty's Country Kitchen, which recently opened in Oxnard, gets help adding final touches to a plate of huevos rancheros from executive chef and manager Robin Nishizaki.

SICILY PIZZERIA-TRATTORIA Location : 563 E. Main St., Ventura. 641-2220; http://www.sicilybygino.com . Hours : Noon-3 p.m. for lunch, 5 to around 9 p.m. for dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Impressions : Pleasant pizzeria-trattoria with hands-on management and cooking; helpful service; good Sicilian specialties along with range of traditional Italian dishes. What's hot : Bocconcini alla caprese, arancini (rice balls), Siciliana pizza, tiramisu. ------------------- Photos by Carmen Smyth / Special to The Star Insalata Di Caprese, at right, is one of the many appetizers and salads to start an Italian experience at Sicily Pizzeria-Trattoria on Main Street in Ventura. Homemade bread is served with all the meals. Stromboli, or Schiacciata Siciliana, above, is a light pizza dough stuffed with pizza toppings and sliced into individual servings.